I don’t know what it is about the Topps product that was issued in 2000, but for me, it is certainly not worthy of the Topps stamp.

Sure, there may be a few nice cards scattered throughout their releases that are copy written as produced in 2000, but when compared to cards issued the following year, 2000 is a stinker.

This card of Joe Morgan from the 2000 Topps Stars set is just one of many examples.

Have a look:

It is so hard to identify what the theme of this card really is. I get the ‘Spotlight’ theme and the shadow cast behind Morgan as it there was a spotlight being shined on him.

But, what is with all of the thin vertical lines that run throughout the card’s background? What is the purpose of them?

If Topps had shifted the Spotlight design to a top-corner of the card and shined down on the player with a bright light while having faint and muted light around the main focus, that could have worked better and made more sense.

Notes From His 1975 Season: Mickey Stanley played in just 52 games for the Detroit Tigers in 1975. He hit .256 on the year with 42 hits in 164 at-bats. Of his 42 hits, Stanley connected for 7 doubles, 3 triples, 3 doubles, and 29 singles.

Notes From Career: Mickey Stanley won four Gold Glove Awards for defensive excellence in the outfield during his 15-season major league career. Stanley retired from the sport with a fielding percentage of .989 and he committed just 46 errors in 1,480 games played. He is a lifetime .248 hitter with 1,243 career hits to his credit. Stanley is a member of the 1968 World Series championship winning Detroit Tigers.

Notes From His 1975 Season: Toby Harrah appeared in 151 games in the 1975 baseball season for the Texas Rangers. He hit .293 on the year with 153 hits in 522 at-bats. Of his 153 hits, Harrah connected for 24 doubles and 20 home runs alongside 93 RBI. Harrah stole 23 bases in ’75 while scoring 81 runs. He was chosen as an All-Star for the American League.

Notes From Career: Toby Harrah is a 4-time All-Star who played for three different clubs during his 17-season career. Harrah is a career .264 hitter with 1,954 hits. He offered a very versatile offense as he connected for 307 doubles and 195 home runs while also stealing 238 bases.

1983 HEADLINE: Jim Palmer Captures The Final Win Of His Major League Career

On this day in 1983, Jim Palmer secured the final win of his legendary major league career.

Getting the start in the second game of a double-header, Palmer was facing the New York Yankees at Memorial Stadium and in front of 44,000+ fans.

Palmer was his true vintage self in this outing. He went seven innings and allowed just 2 hits and 2 runs versus the stacked Yankees lineup. He walked three batters and struck out two en route to a 3-2 victory.

The win was the 268th and final victory of Palmer’s Hall of Fame career.

So, I thought it would be fun to quickly make and post my predictions through the playoffs to see either how close or how off my predictions (guesses) are.

First, I will start with my American League bracket:

Kansas City Royals

Oakland Athletics

LA Angels

LA Angels

Baltimore Orioles

Detroit Tigers

Baltimore Orioles

Baltimore Orioles

And now, for my National League bracket:

Pittsburgh Pirates

San Francisco Giants

San Francisco Giants

Washington Nationals

Washington Nationals

LA Dodgers

LA Dodgers

LA Dodgers

St. Louis Cardinals

Yes, I have the Baltimore Orioles and the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series this year. I won’t tell you yet who I think will win it all, but what I will say is that I think the Orioles will breeze through a lot of the AL match-ups they face while the Dodgers are in for a fight against each and every team in front of them.

And now I want to hear how you think that this is all going to shake out too. So, give me your picks for all of the AL & NL rounds of action as me march towards the World Series.

While he has not been the ‘poster boy’ for defense in 2014, Bryce Harper still had a fantastic season in the field, it was just interrupted by injuries.

Harper had a career low in errors in 2014 with just 4 over the span of the full season. His fielding percentage of .976 is solid, and he is still learning about how to play all of the different fields around the National League.

I fully expect Harper to get even better. I am just a little concerned with how the rotation of outfielders shakes out in Washington as it is going to be crowded if Ryan Zimmerman makes that transition a permanent one in 2015.

Still, Harper is a superb athlete. And with his speed and arm strength, I think he could contend for a Gold Glove Award if he consistently plays in the same spot throughout the course of the year.

I love how he is depicted on this card from the 2014 Topps Gypsy Queen baseball card set: